A field of 118 participants from 38 clubs came to this year’s Austrian State Championships in Feldkirchen (Carinthia).
St. Johanner Thomas Scharfetter holt Gold
Thomas Scharfetter was the shining hero of the weekend for Sanjindo. The St. Johanner (Pongau) won his second state championship title in the individual competition with impressive techniques. “After missing out on qualifying for the Olympics due to my injury, this title is a balm for the soul,” Scharfetter was quoted as saying in a statement. His performance shows that despite his bad luck he is still in top form. The second Austrian national championship title in the individual competition was a small consolation for missing the Olympic qualification for Paris due to injury.
Silver and bronze successes for Sanjindo
The performances of the other Sanjindo judoka were no less impressive. Defending champion Pascal Auer had to admit defeat to his namesake Marcus Auer from JC Premstätten in the final and took silver. Hubert Illmer celebrated another comeback after a long injury break, losing to Adam Borchasvhilli (Galaxy Tigers), but was able to celebrate a strong second place.
The young Michaela Höllwart caused a stir at just 15 years old and with a bronze medal. Michael Niederdorfer and the brothers Moritz and Mathias Höllwart also each earned a bronze medal through impressive and committed fights.
Mixed team competition: heart-stopping final decides
The mixed team competition was extremely close. In the first fight, the judoka from Mühlviertel won 5:2 against Vienna Samurai. Sanjindo then also triumphed with a 5-2 win against Mühlviertel. In the final fight of the day, however, Sanjindo had to admit defeat to Vienna Samurai 1:5. So the individual battle result ultimately decided the coronation.
With seven medals – including one gold – and an excellent third place in the overall ranking, Sanjindo Bischofshofen can undoubtedly be proud of his achievements. Despite the absence of key athletes due to injuries, the club has once again demonstrated its strength and depth. Sanjindo’s achievement underlines the club’s importance and potential as one of the leading forces in Austrian judo.
Club manager Marianne Niederdorfer was satisfied: “We have proven that we can achieve top performance even under difficult conditions. The young talents were particularly impressive and we are looking forward to the challenges ahead.”
(Source: SALZBURG24)
